Incinerator spark eliminator



June 8, 1965 c. RUMF'EL 3,187,697

INCINERATOR SPARK ELIMINATOR Filed Aug. 13, 1962 INVENTOR.

CHARLES RU MPEL Wad.

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United States Patent 3,187,697 INCINERATOR SPARK ELIMENATGR CharlesRumpel, 32151 Old Yale Road, Clearbrook, British Columbia, Canada FiledAug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,598 5 Claims. (Cl. 110-119) This inventionrelates to a device for eliminating the discharge of sparks and othersolid products of combustion from an incinerator.

In many agricultural and industrial operations it is common practice todispose of combustible waste products by burning them in open-airburnersor incinerators many of which are in the form of simple steel drums. Thecarrying on of such practices particularly without proper smoke andspark control, causes severe air pollution in the locality involved as aresult of the discharge of smoke and solid particles of burned andpartly burned materials. In addition to this most undesirable effect,even more serious dangers result from the discharge of burning particlesin areas where there is substantial fire risk. Notwithstanding theseknown dangers, it has often been common to attempt disposal ofcombustible waste materials by burning them in open-top steel drums orother primitive incinerator arrangements without adequate smoke andspark control.

While there have been numerous prior proposals for the design ofincinerator devices having proper smoke and spark control, all these, asfar as I am aware, have taken the form of relatively complicatedstructures in many cases useful only in connection with a burningchamber of special design. It would therefore be of substantialadvantage, and is accordingly an object of my invention, to provide arelatively simple smoke and spark control device which can be applied toalmost any form of container adapted for the burning of refuse, andwhich in particular can be used in connection with steel oil drums ofcylindrical configuration which are commonly used for this purpose.

I have found that it is possible to design a satisfactory sparkeliminator and smoke control device for use in connection with a simpleform of incinerator by providing a main body member adapted to enclosethe top of the incinerator so as to effect air-tight engagement with theperiphery thereof. A stack is centrally disposed in the body member soas to project both downwardly into the incinerator and upwardly abovethe body member. A baflle member is disposed immediately below the lowerend of the stack, within the incinerator, so as to require the productsof combustion to travel in generally horizontal direction immediatelyprior to entering the stack. Similarly, a hood member is disposed on theupper end of the stack whereby the products of combustion are dischargedfrom the stack in a generally downward direction.

In preferred embodiments of my invention adapted particularly for usewith common circular steel drums I provide a body member, stack and hoodof generally circular cross-section in planes parallel to the top of theincinerator. The body member curves upwardly from its point ofengagement with the top of the incinerator to the point where the stackpasses through it at a central location. The baffle member is in theform of a steel plate disposed below the lower part of the stack, andthe hood comprises a hemispherical top section having around its edge aninwardly inclined annular flange defining, with the outside of thestack, a somewhat restricted annular outlet to the atmosphere for theproducts of combustion.

My invention will be described in detail in conjuncice tion with theattached figures of drawings, illustrative of a preferred embodimentthereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a device made in accordance with myinvention, and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines IIII of FIGURE1.

Referring to the drawings, the body member 10 is shown as being in theform of a segment of a sphere, the convex surface of which facesdownwardly into the incinerator. Along the bottom of the body member 10are arranged annular flanges 20 and 21 disposed at right angles to eachother which are adapted to effect with the top of the incinerator asubstantially air-tight joint. A stack 12 is disposed in the body member10 so as to pass through it at its highest point 11 so that it ismaintained in a vertical position with its axis more or less in linewith the axis of the incinerator. The lower end 21 of the stack is, inthe embodiment shown, positioned below the base of the body member by adistance K as shown. Disposed below this lower end is a baflie member 13comprising a plate attached to the lower end of the stack by a pluralityof supports 22 disposed around the periphery of the plate and the stackat convenient locations dictated by the need for structural strength.Between the supports 22 are spaces 23 which permit the products ofcombustion to pass between the edges of the batlle 13 and the lower endof the stack and thus gain access to the latter.

To the upper end of the stack a hood generally represented by 15 ismounted in the particular embodiment illustrated. The hood 15 comprisesa hemispherical sector 24, around the lower edges of which is mounted adownwardly and inwardly inclined annular flange 25. The hood 15 ismounted on the upper end of the stack by means of supports 26 so thatparts of the hood extend downwardly around the outer periphery of thestack. These supports 26 define spaces 27 between them which permit theproducts of combustion emerging from the upper end of the stack 12 topass downwardly between the inside surface of the hood 15 and theoutside surface of the stack 12 and thence, through the annular openingdefined by flange 25, to the atmosphere.

I Should it be desired to permit additional air to enter the incineratorassembly so as to. effect complete combustion, it would be possible toprovide vents which permit the introduction of. secondary air into thestack. Such vents 28 would preferably be disposed aroundthe stack justabove the point 11 where it emerges from the body member 10.

It will be observed from the arrows 30, 31, 32 and 33 that the productsof combustion produced in the lower part of the incinerator are forcedto change direction through substantially degrees several times in orderto reach the atmosphere from inside the incinerator. This labyrinth-likepath, and in particular the eifect of the centrifugal force on solidparticles in the gases caused by these changes in direction assists inremoving these particles from the gases and also, because of the greatertime required to reach the atmosphere, helps toetfect more completecombustion. If in the circumstances of any particular case it is desiredto efiect more changes in direction of the products of combustion thanis provided for the in the embodiment illustrated, this could of coursebe brought about by the use of additional hoods and stacks.

In the drawing the baffle 13 is shown as being in the form of a flatcircular plate. I have found, however, that an inverted cone will alsogive satisfactory results. Similarly, while it is usually easiest to usea circular stack,

other cross-sectional shapes will be found satisfactory.

A Wide variety of materials can be used for fabricating Experimentationhas, however, revealed that for satisfactory operation the relativesizes of the respective parts should be kept within the limits shown inthe chart hereunder. In this chart I also give the relative sizes for aparticular spark eliminator device made in accordance with my inventionwhich has yielded particularly satisfactory results, these are givenunder the column marked opti- V mum-,7

The dimensions given in the chart are all related to the size of anincinerator having a circular top of diameter 5D, D representing thediameter of the stack:

Part Maxi- Mini- Optimum mum mum (21) Diameter of the stack 0. 1D 4. 5DD (b) Diameter of the bafile memben 1.1D 4. 75D 21) (c) Total stacklength D 50D 4D ((1) Proportion of length of stack above body member 0.1 0. 9 0. 5 (e) Distance of batilc member below stack 0. 5D 5D 0. 25D(f) Distance from top of stack to bottom 0. 2D 10D 0. 75D of annularflange (g) Distance between bottom of stack and top of incinerator Nll D0. 5D (11) Maximum hood diameter a. 1.1D 10D 1 1875D (i) Diameter ofoutlet formed by annular flange 1. 1D 10D 2D What I claim as myinvention is:

1. A spark eliminator for an incinerator comprising: a main body memberadapted to enclose the top of the incinerator so as toeffectsubstantially air-tight engagement with the periphery thereof,said body member. being of substantially curved cross-section with theconcave surface adapted to face into the'incinerator; a stack centrallydisposed inside the body member so as toproject above the body memberand a substantial distance below the body member, said stack being openat lower and upper ends thereof respectively to form an entrance and an.outlet; a bafiie member in the form of a fiat plate spaced immediatelybelow the lower end of the stack and extending across the entrancethereof and shaped so as to require the prod ucts of combustion totravel in a generally horizontal direction immediately prior to enteringthe stack, a plurality of spaced supports suspending said baffle memberbelow the lower end of the stack, said plate being of area larger thanthe stack whereby the products of combustionare forced to pass betweensaid supports before entering the stack; and a hood member disposed onthe upper end of the stack spaced from and extending over the outletthereof and shaped to direct the products of combustion from the stackin a generally downward direction, said hood member being of inverted,cup-shaped form and being attached to the upper end of the stack by aplurality of support members having spaces therebetween, said spacespermitting the products of combustion emerging from the stack to passdownwardly between the outside of the stack and the inside of the hoodpast the periphery thereof and thence into the atmosphere; whereby theproducts of combustion produced in the lower part of the incinceratorare forced to change direction through substantially 180 degrees severaltimes in order to reach the atmosphere, thus tending to remove solidparticles from the gases and to eifect more complete combustion.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the periphery of the bodymember is provided with downwardly and outwardly projecting flanges,adapted to effect engagement with the periphery of the top of theincinerator.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use in conjunction with anincinerator having a circular top, wherein the body member, stack andhood are of circular cross-section in planes parallel to the top of theincinerator and wherein the baffle member is a circular plate.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 adapted for use in conjunction with anincinerator having a circular top of diameter 5D, whereinthe bodymember, stack and hood are of generally circular cross-section in planesparallel to the top of the incinerator, the hood being of invertedhemispherical configuration with an inwardly inclined annular flangedisposed on its lower end, the stack being of cylindrical configurationand the baflle member being a circular plate, and wherein the followingdimensional relationships exist, D representing the diameter of thestack: (a) diameter of the stack: between 0.lD and 4.5D

(b) diameter of baifle member: between 1.1D and (c) total stack length:between D and 50D (d) proportion of length of stack above body member:

between 0.1 zero and 0.9

(e) distance of baffle member below stack: between 0.5D and 5D (f)distance from top of stack to bottom of annular flange: between 0.2D and10D (g) distance between bottom of stack and top of incinerator: betweenzero and 45D (-h) maximum diameter of hood: between 1.1D and (i)diameter of outlet formed by annular flange: be-

tween 1.11) and 10D 7 5. A device as claimed in claim 1 adapted for usein conjunction with an incinerator having a circular top of diameter 5D,wherein the body member, stack and hood are of generally circularcross-section in planes parallel to the top of the incinerator the hoodbeing of inverted hemi spherical configuration with an inwardly inclinedannular flange disposed on its lower end, the stack being of cylindricalconfiguration and the baifle member being a circular plate, and whereinthe following dimensional relationships exist, D'representing thediameter of the stack:

(a) stack diameter: D

(b) diameter of baflfle member: 2D

(c) total: stack length: 4D

(d) proportion of length of stack above body member:

0.5 (e) distance of bafile member below stack: 0.25D (f) distance fromtop of stack to bottom of annular flange: 0.75D (g) distance betweenbottom of stack and top of incinerator: 0.5D (11) maximum diameter ofhood: 1.875D (i) diameter of outlet formed by annular flange: 2D

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 214,966' 4/79Talbott -121 2,717,181 9/55 Snow 55-441 2,736,541 2/56 Maiman 110ll9JAMESW. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., PERCY L. PA-

TRICK, Examiners.

1. A SPARK ELIMINATOR FOR AN INCINERATOR COMPRISING: A MAIN BODY MEMBERADAPTED TO ENCLOSE THE TOP OF THE INCINERATOR SO AS TO EFFECTSUBSTANTIALLY AIR-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID BODYMEMBER BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY CURVED CROSS-SECTION WITH THE CONCAVESURFACE ADAPTED TO FACE INTO THE INCINERATOR; A STACK CENTRALLY DISPOSEDINSIDE THE BODY MEMBER SO AS TO PROJECT ABOVE THE BODY MEMBER AND ASUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE BODY MEMBER, SAID STACK BEING OPEN ATLOWER AND UPPER ENDS THEREOF RESPECTIVELY TO FORM AN ENTRANCE AND ANOUTLET; A BAFFLE MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A FLAT PLATE SPACED IMMEDIATELYBELOW THE LOWER END OF THE STACK AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE ENTRANCETHEREOF AND SHAPED SO AS TO REQUIRE THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION TO TRAVELIN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO ENTERING THESTACK, A PLURALITY OF SPACED SUPPORTS SUSPENDING SAID BAFFLE MEMBERBELOW THE LOWER END OF THE STACK, SAID PLATE BEING AREA LARGER THAN THESTACK WHEREBY THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION ARE FORCED TO PASS BETWEEN SAIDSUPPORTS BEFORE ENTERING THE STACK; AND A HOOD MEMBER DISPOSED ON THEUPPER END OF THE STACK SPACED FROM AND EXTENDING OVER THE OUTLET THEREOFAND SHAPED TO DIRECT THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION FROM THE STACK IN AGENERALLY DOWNWARD DIRECTION, SAID HOOD MEMBER BEING OF INVERTED,CUP-SHAPED FORM AND BEING ATTACHED TO THE UPPER END OF THE STACK BY APLURALITY OF SUPPORTS MEMBERS HAVING SPACES THEREBETWEEN, SAID SPACESPERMITTING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION EMERGING FROM THE STACK TO PASSDOWNWARDLY BETWEEN THE OUTSIDE OF THE STACK AND THE INSIDE OF THE HOODPAST THE PERIPHERY THEREOF AND THENCE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE; WHENEEBY THERODUCTS OF COMBUSTION PRODUCED IN THE LOWER PART OF THE INCINERATOR AREFORCE TO CHANGE DIRECTION THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY 180 DEGREES SEVERALTIMES IN ORDER TO REACH THE ATMOSPHERE, THUS TENDING TO REMOVE SOLIDPARTICLES FROM THE GASES AND TO EFFECT MORE COMPLETE COMBUSTION.